Max from Silverstone: 'We have made good progress'
Published on 02 July 2026 by Misha van der Kroon
The Formula 1 paddock heads to Silverstone this weekend for the British Grand Prix. Speaking during Thursday’s media session, Max Verstappen says he is happy with the progress Oracle Red Bull Racing has made in recent races. “We’ve made good progress, which is great to see. We had a positive weekend in Austria and we’re trying to keep improving from there. I know it’s going to be difficult because the competition is very strong, but we’re doing everything we can to become quicker. That’s how this whole season has been. One team brings a big upgrade and jumps ahead, then another team finds performance with an upgrade. The same thing can happen again with other teams. It also depends on the circuit layout. Some layouts work a bit better for us, but as a team you want to be rock solid. Nobody is, but that’s what we’re aiming for. We’re focused on our own package and trying to optimise it. Hopefully we can achieve more results like the one in Austria.”
Despite missing out on victory in Austria, Max is encouraged by the team's performance. “Looking back afterwards, it’s always easy to say what you could have done differently. We definitely had a chance, but for us the most important thing was that, for the first time this year, we were genuinely fighting for the win. Of course it was disappointing not to win, but if you look at where we were at the start of the season, it’s a very positive step. So, we weren’t too disappointed.”
One of the main talking points after qualifying in Austria was George Russell’s pole lap, which came after Max had gone off the track. When asked whether drivers should be penalised for causing a yellow or red flag during qualifying, Max replies: “If someone does it deliberately, there should be a bigger penalty, but in my case it was out of my control. We’ve been talking about it for a long time whether you should, for example, lose your lap time if you cause a yellow or red flag, but that still doesn’t solve the issue of some drivers completing their lap under yellow flags while others have to abandon theirs. First of all, I don’t think it should have been a single yellow in Austria. It should at least have been a double yellow or even a red flag. That the driver then optimises the situation, that’s fair play, and I probably would have tried to do the same. But it shouldn’t be aloud or even possible to finish your lap like that.”
This weekend at Silverstone is expected to put a strong emphasis on energy management, something Max is less enthusiastic about. “I don’t want to be too negative, but let’s just say it’s different from last year,” he explains. “I’ve been in contact with FOM and the FIA. Everyone is doing their best, but the way we generate power nowadays, unfortunately doesn’t suit the characteristics of Silverstone because of the long straights and the high-speed corners. You don’t really tap the brakes, so you can’t recharge enough. In a lot of places around the lap, you basically slow down a lot because it simply wasn’t designed for this engine formula. Some corners are completely different compared to last year and that makes it a bit less exciting.”
As for his chances this weekend, Max is keeping his expectations in check. “It will come down to how efficient we are on the straights. In general this season, Mercedes has probably been the strongest in that area, and I think it’s even more important here than at most other circuits. We’re probably lacking a little bit in that respect, but we’ll see how it goes.”
